Malting and drying apparatus.



No. 658,957. Patented out. 2, |900. y

F. H. c. MEY.

MALTING AND DRYIN?l APPARATUS.

(Application tiled Dec. 23, 1899.)

No. 658,957. Patented Oct. 2, |900. F. H. C'. MEY.

MALTING ANDv DR'YING APPARATUS.

l (Application led Dec. 28, 1899.)

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MALTING AND DRYING APPARATUS.

(Application led Dec. 28, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

NrrwED STATESV VPATENT Fries.

FREDRICK H. C. MEY, OFBUFFALO, NEW YORK.

IVIALTIN'G AND DRYING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 658,957, dated October2, 1900. Application iiled December 23,1899. beral No. 741,427. l(Nomodel.)

To LZ2 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDRIOK H. C. MEY,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county 'ofErie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inMalting and Drying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus intended more especially forgerminating and drying barley inthe manufacture of malt;

but the apparatus is also usefulfor-drying various other substances. Theapparatus belongs to the class of driers which consist of a perforateddrum having suitable means for slowly rotating it and connected with anairpropelling device whereby an air-current is maintained through thedrum for carrying off moisture and gases evolved during the germinatingstage.

The object of my invention is the-produc--.

tion of a machine in which the grain in the drum is subjected uniformlyto the action of the air-current practically around the entire`circumference of the drum, thereby increasing the capacity of theapparatus, shortening the time required to dry the material, andproducing a uniform product.

In the accompanying drawings, consistingv of three sheets, Figurel is ahorizontal section of my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a transversevertical section of the same in line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a verticallongitudinal section of the upper portion of the apparatus on anenlarged scale. Fig. 4. is a transverse ver-x tical section similar toFig. 2, with the driv-4 ing mechanism of the drum omitted. Fig. 5'

is a transverse section of t-he apparatus in line 5 5, Fig. l, on anenlarged scale. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal section ofthe drumand thesurroundingair-chamber, showing the connection between thechamber and its supporting-arms.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A is the bed or found'ationof the machine.

B is the rotary horizontal drum, which is supported at opposite ends onrollers C, journaled in standards rising from the bed A.

D is the driving-shaft from which the drum is slowly rotated by anysuitable mechanism. In the construction shown in thegdrawings the mainshaft D is provided with a sprocketwheel D', and the drum is driven fromthis shaft by a gear-pinion d, secured to the shaft and meshing with agear-rim d', arranged at the adjacent end of the drum. The body orcylindrical portion offthe drum is provided over its entire surface withslits or perforaftions e, While its imperforate heads are provided Withinspection-openings f, which are normally closed by doors f. The drum isprovided in its cylindrical wall with feed and discharge openings g,which are closed by slides or doors g', guided in longitudinal Ways g2,arranged on the drum, as shown in Figs. ,3 and 5.

The drum B is surrounded by an annular air-chamber H, which is openatitsin ner side, so as to communicate with the interior of the drumthrough the slits orperforations there vthe complete circularair-chamber. The section h, located opposite that side of the drum onwhich. the fan I is arranged, is stationary and extends nearly aroundone-half of the lcircumference of the drum and terminates at the top andbottom thereof. The same is carried by end frames or spiders, -Whichconsist of a hub j and arms j', radiating from said hub. These hubs arefitted upon hollow trunnions or journals j2, projecting aX- ially fromthe heads of the drum, and the arms j are secured at their outer ends tothe adjacent section h by bolts js, which pass through said arms andsaid end walls and through thimbles or filling-blocks j4, interposedbetween said arms and walls, as shown in Fig. l. The stationarychamber-section his held against turning in a downward direction by astop or'standard la, projecting upwardly from the bed of the machine atone end of said section and standing in the path of a stop-pin lo',projecting from the end of the IOO section, as shown in Fig. 4f. Thechambersection 71.', arranged on the same side of the drum as thefan I,is movable circumferentially of the drum and extends nearly around theadjacent half of the circumference of the drum. This movable section isadapted to abut at its lower end against the lower end of the stationarychamber-section 7i when in its normal position, so as to leave anopening or passage Z between the upper ends of said chamber-sections,with which the feed-openings g of the drum B are adapted to register forloading the drum, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. When the movable section isshifted upwardly out of its normal position, so as to abut at its upperend against the upper end of the stationary chambersection,an opening orpassagel is left between the lower ends of the sections, as shown inFig. 4, through which passage the material can be discharged by bringingthe openings g of the drum into register with said passage. The movablesection h is carried by end frames or spiders similar to the spiders j jof the stationary section h. The hubs m of said spiders turn on thetrunnions ,7'2 of the drum and are arranged on the outer side of thespiders j j', while the arms 'm' of these spiders are secured to the endwalls of the movable chamber-sec-V tion by bolts m2, passing through thearms and said walls and through thimbles m3, similar to the thimbles j4,as shown in Fig. 6. The movable chamber-section is provided with anozzle or spout N, which is adapted to register with the spout of thefan I. The contiguous ends of this nozzle and the fanspout are providedwith iianges 0, which are curved concentrically with the axis or pivoton which the movable chamber-section turns, so as to form a close jointbetween these parts and at the same time permit said chambersection tobe readily shifted from one position Io the other. If desired, theflanges o, forming the joint between said section and the fan-spout, maybe detachably secured together by any suitable clamping device orfastening o. The movable chamber-section may be shifted by any suitablemeans. The devices shown in the drawings for this purpose consist of apinion p, mounted on a longitudinal shaft p, arranged below the drum andmeshing with a gear-segment p2, secured to the adjacent carrying-arms mof the chamber-section. The shaft 2)' has a hand-wheel p3 for turningit.

The intermediate section h2 of the air-chamber is adapted to t into andclose the space left between the upper ends of the stationarychamber-sections when the lower ends of these sections abut against eachother, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to complete the circle of the annularchamber. The section h2 consists of end or side walls formingcontinuations of the corresponding walls of the stationary and movablesections h h and a curved plate secured tothe outer edges of said wallsand forming a continuation of thc cylindriealbody of the drum. Thisconstruction forms an open-ended section, which abuts against theadjacent ends of the other two sections h h and forms therewith acontinuous air-chamber extending entirely around the perforated drum. Inorder to form a tight joint between the drum and the side walls of theair-chamber, the drum is provided with projecting annular ribs or tenonsq, which iit into corresponding grooves q', formed in the inner edges ofsaid walls, as shown in Fig. 3.

The removable section h2 of the air-chamber may be raised out of the wayand lowered into place by a suitable tackle R, connected with thesection.

S is a perforated circulating or discharge tube for moisture and gasesarranged axially in the drum and communicating at its ends with thehollow trunnionsj2 of the drum. S represents stationary horizontalexitpipes, which are connected with the trunnions of the drum byunion-joints s of any suitable or well-known construction, which permitthe drum to turn relatively to said pipes. These pipes are open at bothends and each is provided at its outer end with a slide or dampers'.

T is a pipe or conduit leading from one of the air-pipes S to the eye ofthe fan I, and T is a similar pipe leading from the other pipe S' to theeye of the fan.

T2 is apipe connected with the pipe T adjacent to the fan and adapted toopen into the atmosphere or be connected with a heater or furnace.last-named pipe and the conduits T T are provided with slides or damperst t 152 for changing the course of the air-curren t through theapparatus.

U is a perforated spray-pipe for moistening the grain in the drum duringthe germinating stage. This pipe is arranged lengthwise in the upperportion of the air-chamber H, preferably in the movable section h, sothat the water delivered by the same drops through the feed anddischarge openings g of the drum upon opening the doors g' thereof andbringing them under said pipe. This spraypipe extends through one of theside walls of said movable section and is connected with a source ofsupply by a fiexible hose. (Not shown in the drawings.) A hand-valve uis preferably arranged in said spray-pipe.

The air-chamber is provided in its cylindrical outer wall with one ormore doors o,

through which access may be had to the doors g of the drum for samplingthe material in the central portion of the drum.

The operation of my improved machine is as follows: The machine isfilled with the material to be treated by removing the intermediatesection hz, of the air-chamber, turning the drum B so as to bring itsfeed and (Not shown in the drawings.) The..

IIO

discharge openings g into register with the space left at the top of theair-chamber, and opening the feed-doors g. drum said doors are closedand the detachable section h2 is replaced. When the machine is used formalting, the grain is steeped in a well-known manner before beingintroduced into the drum and the germinating operation is conducted in amanner common to this class of machines, the drum being rotated onlyfrom time to time during this stage for turning the grain. Upon settingthe fan I in motion the air blast or current produced by the same isdiffused throughout the annular air-chamber H and passes inwardly fromall portions ofsaid chamber through the perforated wall of the drum andthrough the mass of grain in the same. After permeating the grain theair-current, laden with the gases evolved in the germinating stage,enters the axial discharge tube S, whence it passes through the conduitsS and T T back to the fan-case or. escapes through the exit-pipes S'into the atmosphere, according to the adjustment of the dampers' in saidpipes. It is sometimes desirable to repeatedly circulate the saine airthrough the apparatus. This circulation is effected by closing the dampers of the pipes S' and the damper of the inletpipe T2 and opening thedampers of the conduits T, as shown in Fig. l. When it is desired toallow the air to escape into the atmosphere, the dampers of theexit-pipes S are opened. When the germination of the grain is completed,the same is dried by directing hot air through the drum. This is done byconnecting the pipe 'I2 with a suitable heater or furnace, opening thedamper of said pipe and theldampers of the pipes S', and closing thedampers of the conduits T. The hot air is now drawn from the heater bythe fan and forced into the annular air-chamber H and through the drumand the grain,

the air charged with the moisture from the grain escaping through theaxial tube S and the pipes S into the atmosphere. After drying thematerial the same is discharged from the drum by removing theintermediate section h2 of the air-chamber, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5,shifting the movable section 7L of said chamber upwardly against theupper ends of the stationary section h, so as to form the dischargeaperture Z between said sections, and then opening the doors g of-,thedrum.

As the airchamber H extends entirely around the perforated drum, the airdelivered into the chamber passes inwardly through the drum over itsentire area, thus simultaneously subjecting all sides of the mass ofgrain in the drum to the action of the air-current. By this extensiveexposure of the material to the air the capacity of the machine isincreased and a correspondingly-rapid drying of the material iseffected. As the air permeates all portions of the material alike, the

After loading the material is uniformly treated and an even product isobtained.

'While I prefer to employ a blast-current which traverses the drum fromits periphery to its axial tube S, a suction-current may be createdthrough the drum from said axial tube toward its periphery, or viceversa, if desired. Y

If desired, the fan I may be connected with the stationary section h ofthe air-chamber instead of the shiftable section h.

I claim as my inventionvll. The combination with a perforated rotarydrumhaving an internal discharge tube or conduit, of an annularair-chamber surrounding the drum and communicating at its inner sidewith the interior thereof, and having a shiftable section which ismovable circumferentially of the drum, and a removable sectioninterposed between said shiftable section and the remaining portion ofthe airchamber, vandan air-propelling device connected with saidair-chamber, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a perforated drum having an internalair-discharge tube or conduit and provided in its body with a lling anddischarge opening, of an annular airchamber surrounding the drum andcomin unicating at its inner side with the interior thereof andcomprising a stationary section covering nearly one-half of thecircumference of the drum and terminating at the top and bottom of thedrum, a shiftable section arranged opposite said stationary section andmovable circumferentially of the drum, and a removable section adaptedto be interposed between the upper ends of said stationary and shiftablesections, and an'air-propelling device connected with said air-chamber,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a perforated drum having an internalair-discharge tube and journals or trunnions projecting axially from itsheads, of an air-chamber surrounding the drum and communicating with theinterior thereof and having stationary and movable segments, supportingspiders or frames mounted on the trunnions of the drum and secured tothe ends of said segments, and an air-propelling device connected withsaid airchamber, substantially as set forth.

et. The combination with a perforated rotary drum having a feed-openingin its body, of an air-chamber surrounding the drum and having a movablesection or segment, an airpropelling device connected with said chamber,and a spray-pipe arranged in said section and carried by the same,substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a perforated ro'- tary drum ha ving an axialair-discharge tube IOO IIO

connecting with the interior of the drum and i hollow journals ortrunnions communicating with the ends of said axial tube, offstationaryopen-ended air-discharge tubes connected with the ends of said trunnionsby rotary peiling device, and dampers arranged in the joints andprovided with dempers, an airlast-named pipes, substantially as setforth. Io chamber applied t0 lche outer side of bhe drum Witness my handthis 13th day 0f Decemand communicating with the interior thereber,1899.

of, an air-propelling device connected with FREDRICK H. C. HEY. saidchamber, pipes or conduits connected Vitnesses: with saiddischarge-tubes on the inner sides CARL F. GEYER,

of their dempers and leading to said air-pro- JNO. J. BONNER.

